Another Great One is Gone

Late this morning I was working at the Federal Courthouse in Savannah, when the Chief Deputy for the US Marshals in So. Ga. passed on to us that the Honorable Judge Anthony A. Alamo had passed away.

To the average citizen this probably doesn't mean much, but to the Judicial family in South Georgia, it means a great deal. To the outdoors man and woman, he has been a champion for the protection of the environment. For the citizens, his tenure on the bench has ensured that the guilty criminal population in the area received just treatment and sentenced according to their crimes.

During WWII, he served with the Mighty 8Th Air Force and was shot down, became a POW and participated in the "Great Escape". As a person he was open, serious and possessed a realistic sense of duty to the country and the US District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. A Sicilian, by birth, he earned the right to be called an American. With his passing we have all lost a little. I'm sure that at the moment of his passing, he was welcomed by St. Peter with a special place along side his wife of 60 plus years. AMEN

As for the deer season, it's the last few days for the folks in South Carolina. Remember the season goes out on 1 Jan. Dove is still open until the 15th and ducks till the 31st of January.

The moon is going to be full this Friday and will be high in the sky all night long. This means it will be under foot around noon both Thursday and Friday. By my charts, the best hunting will be in the middle of the day. We have a rain front coming in on Thursday and should only last for a day or so, then its gets cold.

As for the birds, cold is good. With all the inclement weather up north it has pushed a lot of the migratory birds south. We harvested a Wood Duck last Wednesday with a ban from up north. This morning a friend of mine, Dan Shealy, harvested a beautiful male widgeon.

As we close the 2009/10 season, its time to start thinking of the pay-back portion of hunting. What I mean by this is food plots, Forrest enhancement and the non-profit agencies that support wildlife enhancement.

The last of the big game seasons, turkey season, is only 74 days out for SC and 79 days for Georgia. At Bass Pro we're scheduling a turkey hunting seminar to take place in early March at Bass Pro. The exact date has not been scheduled. When that date is set I'll put it out.

The Savannah Chapter is holding its Annual Banquet on Thursday, February 25th at 6 p.m. in the Carey Hilliard's Restaurant, on Abercorn across from Lowes/Home Depot. If you would like more information please contact me via my e-mail address, artaylor45@hotmail.com, and I'll be happy to provide ya with all the information you'll need.

Also the Wayne County/Savannah Chapters is sponsoring a Continental Pheasant shoot at the Odium Shooting Preserve on the 25Th of January. The cost is $150.00 per gun and includes a quick snack in the morning, the shoot and a fantastic BBQ lunch. This is a fund raiser and will support both chapters of the N[filtered word]. Again if you are interested please contact me at the above e-mail address.

This should be a good weekend for hunting. Remember that if you indulge the night before please stay at home. Hunting under the influence is a serious offense. Don't go out partying all night and expect to be ready to hunt the next morning. Remember the deer will be moving late. Get plenty of rest and let your body recover before trying to climb a tree and shoot a weapon. Hunt Safe. Andy Taylor